Elizabeth Carmichael didn’t set out to become one of Southern California’s most recognized advocates for sustainable urban development. But from her early days in the lush, wooded communities of the Northeast to her role as founder of THE LAB SD (Living Adaptive Build – Sustainable Developments), the seeds of a greener vision were always there, quietly rooted, waiting to grow.

“I grew up surrounded by trees, greenery, and quiet. Later, when I moved into cities, I noticed something missing,” says Carmichael. “It wasn’t just about aesthetics. It was how those environments felt. I started to ask: What’s behind all of this? Why does nature change the way we feel? That curiosity became a calling.”

That calling led Carmichael through a journey of discovery, from co-founding an architecture firm that lacked a sustainable focus, to launching ECOhouse, and finally evolving into her current venture, THE LAB SD, a full-service development consultancy dedicated to bringing biophilic, sustainable, and adaptive design to multifamily and mixed-use housing across San Diego and beyond.

Before her current work with developers, Carmichael’s fascination with nature took on experimental form. She created a ‘plant lab,’ a conceptual testing ground for exploring how human-to-nature connection can deepen human-to-human connection.

“I started realizing that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, when you’re planting together, everyone’s equal. There’s laughter, shared purpose, and this sense of community that forms through a shared interaction with nature,” she says.